I’m currently reading a new marketing textbook that was just released called, “Consumer Behavior: Human Pursuit of Happiness in the World of Goods,” written in collaboration with Professor Banwari Mittal and six of his colleagues. If truth must be known, Professor Mittal mentioned me in his book and was kind enough to send me a copy upon its release. The book is a treasure trove of consumer behavior data, opinion and observation. Being a textbook, I bounce from one section to another in no particular order. What inspired this article was in the chapter on consumer motivation. The example in particular was a group of people who were asked to describe someone who might buy Maxwell House Instant Coffee. The majority were quick to judge that the consumer of instant coffee was a lazy person. This opinion begged the question – “What caused the person to view the purchaser of the instant coffee so disparagingly?” especially when they didn’t even know the person. Could it be that the people were actually transferring their own inadequacies to the instant coffee purchaser? A guilty pleasure so to speak.
If presented with the three products presented here, how would you describe the owners? On what basis was your opinion formed? What inner secrets do we harbor and project on our observations of others? What brand personalities do we embrace when we make purchasing decisions based on these inner secrets? Even in the preparation of this article and choosing the three products, I had my own impression of the owners and what may have motivated their purchases, good or bad.
What pros and cons do your potential customers consider when they choose to engage you or walk? It should be the goal of every one of us to address the negatives and accentuate the positives of our own brands. It is also important not ignore any baggage such as societal stigma or popular assumptions in the promotion of our brand. To do so would be fool hardy.
Drawing conclusions on people we don’t know is a reflection on a perceived image. That image dictates how we interact with that individual or brand. Making the wrong decisions is where we lose money. If you’re making a profit then you’re making more right decisions. The trick is to stay on top of your brand and how it is viewed and reacted to.
On the web I see some consultants adjusting to prejudices that dictate they might be considered “too slick.” They address these issues by purposely creating “amateur” videos and promotional materials. Viewing these presentations might motivate your interest with their “just like me” attitude. To others it smacks of unprofessionalism. Neither are wrong of course, but have everything to do with the motivation of their target customer.
What is your brand saying?
